Piper PA-24-250 accident near Albany, TX
On February 21, 2012, a Piper PA-24-250 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Albany, TX. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 21, 2012
- Place
- Albany, TX
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 32.809°N, 99.324°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120215X93423
Official records · CEN12FA164
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Transcript of Radio Communications with FAA ATC: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Radar Track from FAA ATC Radar Data - Map: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Radar Track from FAA ATC Radar Data – Tabular Data: Document (CSV), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 20, 2012, about 1936 central standard time, a Piper PA-24-250 single-engine airplane, N7147P, impacted terrain near Albany, Texas. The private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to Baga Air, Inc., and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Abilene Regional Airport (ABI), Abilene, Texas, at 1920, and was destined for the University of Oklahoma Westheimer Airport (OUN), Norman, Oklahoma. The airplane had climbed to cruise altitude and was level at 9,500 feet mean sea level (msl). About three minutes later the pilot made a radio call that he needed to return to ABI because he had lost suction and his attitude indicator. The controller cleared the airplane to return to ABI. Radar data showed the airplane made a climbing turn to the right and the airplane then descended rapidly. Radar and radio contact was lost about 1936. The wreckage was found the next morning. Ground and airplane impact signatures showed evidence of a nearly vertical nose down collision with terrain. The outboard section of the right wing and the right aileron were found about one mile southeast from the main wreckage. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot, age 48, held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single land which was initially issued on April 10, 2007. He was most recently issued a third class airman med
Probable cause
The loss of flight instrumentation due to a failed vacuum pump while flying a night without a discernable horizon, which resulted in the pilot's spatial disorientation and an in-flight loss of control and impact with terrain. Contributing was the continued operation of the airplane with a recalled and unsafe vacuum pump.
More accidents in TX
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Browse: Texas · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
